State of eVTOL — Q2 2026 Report: 12,400 Demand Signups, 8 Certification Programs Tracked, 98 Vertiports

October 2026 update: older launch predictions and completion percentages below are historical, not current availability. Dubai is not live and targets end-2026; Abu Dhabi is not live and targets late 2026–early 2027. Joby's September report describes fifth-stage FAA work; Archer's May report describes Phase 3 closed and Phase 4 testing, not issued type certificates. eIPP covers 8 projects across 26 states, with the first operation on 10 July 2026; demonstrations are not public ticketed service. The powered-lift final rule dates to October 2024. EHang's March results announced March 2026 sightseeing launches in Guangzhou and Hefei, not commercial operations since 2024.

See the sourced global review for evidence and limitations. The original publication date is retained. The historical text below is preserved for transparency and must be read with these corrections.

State of eVTOL — Q2 2026 Report

Today we're publishing the first quarterly State of eVTOL report. It's the data report on the eVTOL industry that nobody else has been writing — covering demand, certification progress, vertiport build-out, and operator activity, with every number pulled from the live data we already track at evtol.travel.

The full report is a free PDF download (no email required, no gate, no upsell):

Download the State of eVTOL — Q2 2026 PDF →

Or read the summary online with chart previews and the citation block.

Why we're doing this

Vertical Magazine and AIN cover the eVTOL beat news-by-news. Nobody publishes a recurring proprietary report on what the industry as a whole did in the last 90 days. We sit on exactly the data needed to write that report — the demand-signal program tracks tens of thousands of declared trips, the certification tracker follows every major program, and the global vertiport database covers 98 sites in 23 countries.

So we wrote it. And we'll write one every quarter.

The three headline findings

1. Joby cleared FAA Stage 5 TIA — type certificate within reach. Joby Aviation's first FAA-conforming production aircraft completed flight in March 2026, putting them at 85% through type certification. If Stage 5 TIA finishes clean, the FAA could issue the first US eVTOL type certificate within Q3 2026. Read the full delta in the certification tracker.

2. Archer hit 100% FAA Means of Compliance — an industry first. Archer Aviation became the first company to have all FAA Means of Compliance documents accepted, putting Midnight on track for type certification in late 2026. Combined with Archer's appearance in 3 of the 6 named eIPP cohort cities (Texas, Florida, NYC), this gives Archer the broadest US launch surface of any operator.

3. Verified route-interest signups grew 38% MoM to 12,400+ across 51 cities. Dubai, New York, and Los Angeles all crossed the 500-passenger launch-ready threshold for the first time. Tampa Bay, Houston, and Dallas had the highest month-over-month growth in the top 20.

What's in the full report

• Executive summary — the three findings above, expanded with sourcing.
• Demand snapshot — top 20 cities by route-interest signups, regional breakdown, MoM growth.
• Certification tracker delta — quarter-over-quarter movement on Joby, Archer, BETA, Eve, EHang, AutoFlight, Volocopter, and Vertical.
• Vertiport build-out — 98 sites tracked, 12 net new this quarter, lead operators (Skyports, Atlantic, Signature, Ferrovial).
• Operator activity log — eight verified events from the quarter, sourced from public filings and operator press.
• What we're watching next quarter — five forward-looking items, including the Joby type certificate decision and Dubai's soft launch window.
• Methodology + data sources — every number is reproducible from the snapshot JSON committed to the repo.

How to cite this report

Every number in the PDF is frozen as of April 30, 2026 so citations stay stable.

Cite as: evtol.travel, State of eVTOL Q2 2026, April 2026, https://evtol.travel/press/reports/q2-2026.

When citing in print or broadcast, please credit eVTOL.Travel. When citing online, please link to the report URL above.

Why quarterly cadence matters

By Q4, journalists writing eVTOL stories will have us bookmarked. By Q4 2027, "evtol.travel reports" should be a stock phrase in trade press the same way "Glassdoor reports" is in HR coverage. The only way to get there is to publish on schedule, every quarter, with numbers nobody else has.

What's next

The Q3 2026 report drops in July 2026. To get an embargo copy 48 hours before publish — or to be added to our press list for future reports — email laxman@evtol.travel.

For interview requests, on-record commentary, and fact-checks, the eVTOL.Travel Newsroom is the front door.

Key statistics from the report

• 3 active eVTOL type certificates worldwide (EHang EH216-S, AutoFlight Prosperity I, Volocopter VoloCity).
• 12,400+ verified route-interest signups across 51 cities in Q2 2026, up 38% MoM.
• 6 US eIPP cohort cities named: NYC, LA, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Miami, Tampa Bay.
• 98 vertiports tracked in 23 countries; +12 net new this quarter.
• 8 major eVTOL programs tracked across FAA, EASA, CAAC, and ANAC.

As of April 30, 2026.

Sources: live data from api/press/stats, api/demand/public, api/vertiports, the evtol.travel certification tracker, and public regulator filings (FAA, EASA, CAAC, ANAC). Editorial interpretation by eVTOL.Travel.